Sometime I wonder what it would be like if we had a manual for life. Complete with instructions on how to find “the one”, how to raise a family, how to meet friends, how to be successful, how to be HAPPY! If there was such a manual I don’t know if I would even use it. Part of what makes life so amazing is that you can’t plan, predict, or be guided through it. It is ever evolving and we must learn to adapt. We find ourselves in a tireless pursuit to understand all there is to know in life, but sometimes we need to bask in the mystery and just enjoy being alive.
But…just in case you need a little motivation or inspiration to get you through, the Dalai Lama has created some insightful and truly powerful instructions for life.
1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three Rs: Respect for self, respect for others and responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go some place you’ve never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.
